Stage and screen actor Geoffrey Hutchings dies aged 71

Stage and screen actor Geoffrey Hutchings has died aged 71, his agent announced today.

The Rada-trained star saw his career stretch from Shakespearean theatre to a string of popular TV dramas, most recently starring in ITV1's Benidorm.

Hutchings, who lived in central London, died suddenly in hospital at
around 8am yesterday from a suspected viral infection.

The star appeared in the acclaimed saga Our Friends In The North, as well as Heart Of Darkness and Made In Britain.

He also starred in the popular series Bad Girls and last year he had a brief spell in EastEnders.

The actor's latest series, the sitcom Grandma's House written by
comic Simon Amstell, is due to be screened by BBC2 this summer.

He was due to begin filming the next series of Benidorm shortly.

The Dorchester-born actor studied French and PE at Birmingham University, later attending Rada and becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968.

His stagecraft won him an Olivier Award for best comedy performance in 1982 for his role in Poppy.

During the 1980s he began to turn his attention more towards TV work and homegrown movies.

His British films included John Cleese's Clockwise, Wish You Were Here and the adaptation of Bruce Chatwin's On The Black Hill.

He later appeared in Topsy-Turvy, made by director Mike Leigh with whom he had worked in theatre in the 1970s.

Hutchings with Samantha Sprio in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick at the Lyttleton Theatre

Hutchings's frequent TV appearances have seen him clock up roles in shows such as Brass, Hot Metal, Monsignor Renard and Maigret. Other roles have included appearances in shows such as Holby City, Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders.

In 1998 he was part of the cast for the acclaimed Carry On-inspired National Theatre production Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick, in which he played comedy actor Sid James. The play was later adapted for TV as Cor, Blimey!.

Hutchings's agent Roger Charteris said: 'He never stopped working. Geoffrey was a delight to work with and he was absolutely one of a kind.'

He added: 'He is thought to have died from
a sudden viral infection. He was fine at lunchtime on Wednesday but he
had died by Thursday morning.'

The actor, a grandfather, is survived by his second wife Andi and he has three children from his first marriage.